Preliminary to a valid marriage:

TO CONTRACT A VALID MARRIAGE IN THE STATE, THE PARTIES MUST HAVE THE CAPACITY TO MARRY EACH OTHER, THEY MUST FREELY CONSENT TO HAVE THE MARRIAGE AND THEY MUST OBSERVE THE NECESSARY FORMALITIES REQUIRED BY THE LAWS OF IRELAND.

REQUIREMENT TO GIVE THREE MONTHS WRITTEN NOTIFICATION

Section 32 of the Family Act 1995 requires any person marrying on or after 1 August 1996, either by religious or civil ceremony must give three months written notification of their intention to marry to the Registrar (or have obtained a court exemption Order under Section 33 of the Family Law Act. 1995.) Notification forms (fla. 1.96) which may be used for this purpose are obtainable from this office.

Both parties to a marriage must be over 18 years of age on the day of their marriage (or have obtained Court exemption Order under Section 31 of the Family Law Act 1995 in advance of their marriage.)

NOTICE OF MARRIAGE

Marriage may be solemnised in the office of the Registrar of Civil Marriages by Registrars Office or by Registrars certificate. The methods differ mainly in relation to the required length of residence in the registrars district prior to the event. Persons wishing to be married in the office of a Registrar either by Registrars licence or certificate must serve notice in person upon the Registrar of Marriages of the district in which they reside and in whose district the marriage will be solemnised. Where parties reside in different registration districts, notice must be served on the Registrar of each district.

APPOINTMENT

The parties must arrange an appointment with the Registrar to serve notice. This appointment should be made by phoning the Registrar approximately 2-3 weeks after submitting the three month Notification of Intention to Marry.

When serving notice both parties must produce all documentation such as Birth Certificates/Passports/ Drivers Licences as proof of Age and Identity and any other documentary evidence as may be requested by the Registrar as proof of residency etc.

Where a party has previously been married and divorced within the state, the party must produce a certified copy of the Divorce Decree pronouncing their divorce as final.

Where parties are divorced outside the state they must produce a certified copy of the Divorce Decree Nisi and Absolute and Birth certificated in respect of both parties to the divorce. Questionnaires must also be completed in respect of both parties to the divorce. The questionnaires may be forwarded in advance on request, and should be completed as fully as possible, by, or in respect of each of the parties to the divorce.

Where either or both parties to the proposed marriage has received a High Court Decree of Nullity the parties must produce a certified copy of same at the time of serving notice along with a statement from the Supreme Court that no appeals have been lodged against same.

Where either or both parties to the marriage is widowed, the party or parties must, at the time of serving notice, produce a certified copy of the Death certificate of their late spouse and their first Marriage Certificate.

ALL DOCUMENTATION NOT ORIGINALLY IN ENGLISH MUST BE ACCOMPANIED BY A CERTIFIED TRANSLATION

IF EITHER OF THE PARTIES TO A MARRIAGE IS UNABLE TO SPEAK OR UNDERSTAND ENGLISH, THE PARTIES ARE REQUIRED TO OBTAIN THE SERVICES OF AN INTERPRETER.

RESIDENCE REQUIREMENTS

MARRIAGE BY CERTIFICATE WITHOUT LICENCE

A residence of seven clear days is necessary for each party immediately preceding the day on which notice is served on the Registrar. If the parties reside in different districts, notice must be given to each Registrar. Residence must be within the district of the Registrar to whom notice is to be given.

The marriage may then take place twenty two days later subject to booking availability and compliance with all other legally required marriage preliminaries, if any, appropriate to the form of marriage.

MARRIAGE BY LICENCE

Requires that one of the parties to the marriage should have resided in the Registrars district in which the marriage is to take place for at least 15 full days immediately preceding the service of notice.

If the other party to the marriage resides in the same registrars district, a minimum residence of seven days by that party is necessary before the service of notice.

If the parties reside in different districts a residency of fifteen days in their respective districts is required.

One of the parties must also have resided in the Registrars district in which the marriage is to take place for at least fifteen days before the marriage licence is granted.

Marriage may take place on the eighth day at the earliest after the entry of notice by the Registrar subject to booking availability and compliance with all the other legally required marriage preliminaries, if any, appropriate to the form of marriage.

PLEASE NOTE THAT THE AFOREMENTIONED ARE PROVISIONAL ON WRITTEN NOTIFICATION HAVING BEEN GIVEN TO THE REGISTRAR BY BOTH PARTIES AT LEAST THREE MONTHS BEFORE THE MARRIAGE TAKES PLACE.

How notification must be given
Notification of an intention to marry may be given in either of two ways:

i) Both parties may write separately to the Registrar for the district in which the marriage is be solemnised giving the following information:

2) A pre-printed form may be completed and returned to the appropriate Registrar. If only one letter or form is sent to the Registrar it must be signed by both parties. The three months minimum notification period does not commence until a notification has been received from each of the parties to a proposed marriage.

Print Notification Form Here

The Registrar will issue each party to the intended marriage with an acknowledgement confirming the date of receipt of notification. You must retain this document and produce it, when requested, to the person solemnising the marriage.

A Civil Marriage
May be by licence or by certificate. There is no substantial difference between these two forms of marriage except in the residence requirements for each.

Residence requirements:

Marriage by certificate
A residence of  7 full days in the registrar’s district is required for the marriage to take place. This is not to include the day of arrival in the district or the day of serving notice.
The marriage may then take place 22 days later, after the full 7 days. The 7 full days must be spent in the district where the marriage is to take place. For example if a couple have served notice in the Dublin district, they must stay in the Dublin district for the full 7 days.
Once the 7 days have been fulfilled the marriage may take place at any time after the 22 days have elapsed. There is no time limit. Therefore if a couple visiting Ireland for holidays stayed for the required time, they could return to Ireland a year or two later and get married, subject to availability.
The cost for the marriage by certificate is £10.50.

The approximate time for this is 29 days not including the day of arrival in the district or the day of serving notice.

Marriage by Licence
One of the parties must be resident in the district for at least 15 full days immediately preceding the serving of notice. If the other party to the marriage resides in the same registrar’s district a minimum of 7 full days is required immediately preceding the serving of notice.

If both parties reside in different districts a residency of 15 full days in their respective districts is required. N.B. England is classed as a district for the purposes of serving notice.
If parties are serving notice in different districts, they should arrange to do so at approximately. the same time.

One of the parties must also have presided in the district for at least 15 full days before the licence is granted.

The marriage may take place 8 days after the serving of notice, subject to availability.

The cost for the marriage by licence is about €32.50

The approximate time required for this is 23 days, not including the day of serving notice.

All times are subject to availability within the specific registrar’s schedule of marriages.

Marriage by Religious Ceremony
Roman Catholic:
Catholic Church are governed mainly by the ecclesiastical laws of that church. Roman Catholic marriages may be celebrated (a written of intention to marry must be given by both parties as set out about):

Church of Ireland:
Marriages according to the rites and Ceremonies of the Church of Ireland may be celebrated (a written of intention to marry must be given by both parties as set out about):

It is not possible to get married by the Church of Ireland if either person has been divorced, and the other party is still living (but it is possible to have a civil marriage blessed

Presbyterian Church:
Marriages according to the form and discipline of the Presbyterian Church may be celebrated (a written of intention to marry must be given by both parties as set out about):

Society of Friends:

Muslim Marriages:
There is at present no provision for the civil registration of Muslim Marriages Ceremonies solemnised in the Irish State.

Documents Required

Plan Carefully!
Three months prior to the marriage hand in your notice application.
Telephone the registrars office and arrange an appointment to serve notice.
Fulfil residency requirement

Divorcee Requirements
Where either party is divorced they must supply the registrar with a certified copy of the divorce decree Nisi and Absolut. A photocopied copy will not suffice.
"Long form" birth certificates for both parties to the divorce.
A questionnaire must also be completed in respect to both parties to the divorce and this must be forwarded in advance of appointment with the registrar.

Registrar office in Dublin
A fantastic new registry office has been recently opened in Dublin.
Seating is available for approximately 70 people. Flowers are not provided in the room however you can bring your own flowers into the room.

The music must be non-religious, this also applies to readings or reflections.

Friday is the most popular day for marriages, however marriages are performed From Monday to Friday. The first appointment starts at 10.30am. After lunch - 2.30pm and the very last marriage is performed at 4pm in the afternoon.

Contact Details:
Dublin Registry Office
Sir Patrick's Dunn Hospital,
Lower Grand Canal Street,
Dublin 2.

Ph: 00 1 353 1 6787114

Each district has their own registry office and all civil weddings must take place within the designated buildings.